Jonathan stated this on Thursday while speaking at dialogue on restructuring organised by Daily Trust Newspaper in Abuja.

He noted that the restructuring of Nigeria into 12 states by Yakubu Gowon at the outset of the civil war was to protect Nigeria from disintegration.

He said Nigerians have intensified the calls for restructuring because the federal system of governance handed to the country by the British can no longer accommodate the complexities of the nation.

The former president said he believes that the amalgamation of northern and southern Nigeria is not the problem but the divisive politics that has greatly affected the nation’s unity.

“My conviction is that discussion on restructuring will not help except we restructure our minds because some of the challenging issues at the national level still exist at the state and local levels.”

“We cannot restructure in isolation without tackling the challenges that polarise our nation. These include nepotism, ethnic and religious differences as well as lack of patriotism. The issues of tribe and religion have continued to limit our unity and progress as a nation”, Jonathan noted.